1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a remote controlled apparatus, more particularly to an energy conserving device for a remote controlled apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Infrared remote controlled appliances are widely available in the market. The infrared receiving circuit of a remote controlled appliance, such as a scent releasing apparatus, typically requires a 5-volt operating voltage to operate, and has a relatively large operating power requirement. When commercial AC power is applied as a source of electrical power for the scent releasing apparatus, installation of the latter is limited to within the vicinity of an electrical outlet. Further, when an automobile battery is applied as the source of electrical power for the scent releasing apparatus, the stored energy of the automobile battery is easily used up due to continuous operation of the infrared receiving circuit.
The object of the present invention is to provide an energy conserving device for a remote controlled apparatus that permits long term operation of the latter with the use of a low voltage power source, such as a battery cell.
According to this invention, an energy conserving device is adapted to be connected to an infrared receiving circuit of a remote controlled apparatus that receives an infrared control signal from a remote controller, and controls the supply of an operating voltage to the infrared receiving circuit. The energy conserving device comprises an input voltage unit for providing a voltage output that is lower than the operating voltage, a voltage increasing unit, and a sleep control unit.
The voltage increasing unit is connected to the input voltage unit, and is adapted to be connected to the infrared receiving circuit. The voltage increasing unit is operable in one of a wake mode, where the voltage increasing unit is enabled to generate the operating voltage from the voltage output of the input voltage unit and to supply the operating voltage to the infrared receiving circuit, and a sleep mode, where the voltage increasing unit is inhibited from generating the operating voltage to the infrared receiving circuit.
The sleep control unit includes a detector circuit, a comparator circuit, and a wake control circuit. The detector circuit is adapted to receive the infrared control signal from the remote controller, and has an output that varies upon receipt of the infrared control signal from the remote controller. The comparator circuit is connected to the detector circuit, compares the output of the detector circuit with a reference signal, and generates a wake control signal upon determining that the detector circuit has received the infrared control signal from the remote controller. The wake control circuit is connected to the comparator circuit and the voltage increasing unit, and controls the voltage increasing unit to operate in the wake mode for a predetermined time period upon receiving the wake control signal from the comparator circuit, and in the sleep mode when the wake control circuit ceases to receive the wake control signal from the comparator circuit after the predetermined time period has elapsed.